zebra finch in flight tunnel

Zebra Finch Visual Guidance

A chapter from my graduate work, focused on determining visual guidance strategies and control during forward flight in zebra finches. Ten birds were trained to fly perch-to-perch across a 3 meter long flight tunnel with visual stimulus displayed on monitors on either side. The experimental chamber and treatments were designed to study lateral flight control, altitudinal flight control, and velocity control.

zebra finch in flight tunnel
Outfitted with 3D printed helmets, each with a unique arrangement of reflective markers for individual tracking with Optitrack
Tracking 4 individuals’ position and rotation in Motive as they fly perch-to-perch across the flight tunnel
Flights captured by Optitrack and Motive, cleaned with pathviewr, and readied for position and velocity analysis
Data visualization and analysis of visual treatment effects on lateral flight position, altitudinal flight position, and velocity control